he is here today with us. we thank you so much for your service and honoring us. [applause] >> welcome again to the foundation for defense of democracy's annual washington forum. my name is kenneth schwartz. i have the pleasure of introducing distinguished public official robert kc, senior senator from the state of pennsylvania. you served since 2007 as chairman of near east and south asia subcommittee, senate foreign relations committee only in the first term. one can scarcely imagine a more challenging time, the past two years in the middle east have seen wars in international borders, collapse of regimes in decades and the rise of political movements that may yet turn hostile in the united states and its allies. new developments, he has led the way on many issues of great concern to ftd. he is founder and co-chair of the bipartisan senate caucus on weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, in that capacity worked across the partisan divide to highlight serious threats of -- weapons of mass deliberation. he has done as much to run our greatest threat in the middle